Readers ask about pecking chickens & vintage hair salon

Friday at Auction Finds is readers’ questions day. I try to guide readers to resources for them to determine the value of the items that they own. I’m not able to appraise their treasures, but I can do some preliminary research to get them started. So, these are market values, not appraisal for insurance purposes that I suggest for itemsthat have been determined to be of great value.

This week’s questions are about a pecking chicken paddle toy and the sale of a vintage hair salon.

Here are this week’s questions:

A pecking chicken paddle that was sold at auction last year.

Question:

I have never played the game but I did own one that I purchased at a local antique store. Mine had a wire handle, no strings or ball, but the patina was wonderful and I loved it so! Notice that I used the past tense “did own.” To my profound sorrow, I was not the only one in the house that was attracted to the pecking chicken game. … My beloved terrier Lucy apparently thought they would be fun to play with and proceeded to remove all of their heads in the game she invented. The investment of $11 that I had paid for the game was not the issue, it was the loss of an item I treasured.

My game was similar to the one you pictured, except for the wire handle, and each of the chickens were stained in different colors. If you know of a source where I might replace my treasure I would appreciate knowing it. I have searched briefly online, but yours is the closest to mine in color and patina that I’ve found. The game does not have to be complete – missing ball, and strings are okay, but patina is key.

Answer:

The reader is referring to a pecking chicken paddle toy I blogged about last year. I stumbled upon it at auction and was stumped by it until an auction-goer – who had had such a toy as a child – showed me how it worked. Take the handle, twirl the red ball on the bottom of the board and watch as the five chickens pecked the top.

I didn’t buy the toy – I couldn’t figure out a reason to do so – but I found them selling on the web, including new ones on amazon.com. Since you’re looking for a specific one, I’d suggest you try eBay, where just about anything is sold.

If the type you’re looking for doesn’t turn up the first time, keep checking eBay. Also try searching for “pecking chicken toy” via Google to see if any retail sites are selling a vintage version, or if one is coming up at an auction near you or through online bidding.

Hair dryer chairs waiting to be auctioned.

Question:

I have a complete vintage salon, with all working equipment. My mother opened the salon in 1937. All of the dryers still work. She kept good care of all her equipment. I have 4 hooded dryers, 3 reception waiting chairs, 2 spin down chairs, 2 hydraulic station chairs, 2 black sinks, 1 old blow dryer, and many other salon items. Do you know anyone who would be interested in purchasing this complete vintage salon in orange decor. I would greatly like to see it used and the times remembered.

Answer:

It’s great that you have kept your mother’s salon and want to find a good home for it. It sounds as complete as one that came up at auction last year, but that one was a more modern salon.

For liability reasons, I don’t put buyers and sellers together. I only offer suggestions to help you research ways to determine the value of your items for either sale, donation or to keep.

Your mother’s salon is more than 75 years old, and that makes it vintage. I wonder if there’s much of a market for a complete salon with so much age on it. Everyone seems to want modern and convenient these days.

Maybe more people would be interested in buying the individual pieces of equipment. I found some of them selling (and a few being sold) on eBay. It must be difficult and expensive, though, to ship some of that equipment.

My suggestion is that you follow the example of the owner of the salon I blogged about. Try selling the salon whole through an auction house near you. You can find one through the website auctionzip.com. Do some homework on the auction houses – keep in mind that they will charge you for the consignment – and find out which are reputable. Ask the auctioneers’ advice on the best way to unload the salon.

Craigslist is another alternative, but be careful. You didn’t say where you were storing the salon equipment, but be cautious about showing it to anyone alone or at your house.

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Our houses are filled with memorabilia and artifacts that are part of our family's history and legacy. But far too often we don't know what we have or assume it's worth very little or nothing.

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About Sherry Howard

I started going to auctions to fuel my love for African American art – but at a bargain. I love the old masters: Lois Mailou Jones, Jacob Lawrence, Hughie Lee-Smith. I wanted to find their works and discover other veteran artists whose works may have been hiding in an attic or basement, and forgotten.

I’m a journalist by profession: I was a newspaper reporter and editor. Now, I’m taking what I did as a journalist – peeling back the covers of people’s lives and writing about what I found – and applying it to auctions. And I’m loving it.

Visit me often to see what I come up with. I would also like to share stories and photos of what you find and your collections. Click my Contact page.

What is my stuff worth?

Here are some tips for things you can do on your own to help determine what your items are worth:

First, try the web. Search for items similar to yours.
Go to the library or browse at a bookstore. Look through price and collector's guides pertaining to your item.
Get a free or reduced-price appraisal. Find local auction houses in your town and check their websites to see if they offer these quick appraisals. You can find auction houses near you via auctionzip.com.Pay for a real appraisal. This could be your last step or your first step (if you have an item that you already know is valuable).

You can get more detailed information on each of these tips in my blog post on the subject.